1:5 Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer:
1:6 Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
1:7 And to you who are troubled rest with us,3 when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,
1:8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:
1:9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from 4 the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;
1:10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.
1:11 Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, 5 and the work of faith with power:
1:12 That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified 6 in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. See note on 1Thessalonians 1:1.
3. On the use of the plural pronoun, see note on 1Thessalonians 1:1.
4. The preposition here has the sense of "proceeding from."
5. The same word is used in the sense of good will, good pleasure, satisfaction , in Luke 2:14 and Romans 10:1. The A.V. here would require a word to be supplied.
6. The glory of our Lord at His coming will be manifested in His people (see v. 10); that is, they, by virtue of their union with Him, will partake of His glorious likeness. Cf Romans 8:17, 18, 19. And, even in this world, this glorification takes place partially, by their moral conformity to His image. See Romans 8:30, and 2Corinthians 3:18.
2Thessalonians 2:1-17 2:1 Now we beseech you,1 brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him,
2:2 That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, 2 nor by word, nor by letter 3 as from us, 4 as that the day of Christ is at hand. 5
2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means:for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth 6 in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
2:5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told 7 you these things?
2:6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
2:7 For the mystery of iniquity 8 doth already work:only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.
2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, 9 and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
2:9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,
2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth:
2:14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.
2:16 Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace,
2:17 Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work.
1. In respect of, or perhaps (as Prof. Jowett takes it) on behalf of, as though St. Paul were pleading in honor of that day; it is wrongly translated in A.V. as an adjuration.
2. i.e. any pretended revelation of those who claimed inspiration.
3. See the preceding remarks upon the occasion of this Epistle.
4. Literally "at though originated Ay me:" the words may include both "spirit," "rumor," and "letter."
5. Literally "is present." So the verb is always used in the New Testament. See Romans 8:38; 1Corinthians 3:22; Galatians 1:4; 2Timothy 3:1; Hebrews 9:9.
6. The received text interpolates here "as God," but the MSS. do not confirm this reading.
7. The verb is in the imperfect.
8. The proper meaning of a nomov is one unrestrained by law:hence it is often used as a transgressor, or, generally, a wicked man, as ajnomia is used often simply for iniquity; but in this passage it seems best to keep to the original meaning of the word.
9. This appears to be an allusion to (although not an exact quotation of) Isaiah 11:4; — "With the breath of His lips He shall destroy the impious man." (LXX. version.) Some of the Rabbinical commentators applied this prophecy (which was probably in St. Paul’s thoughts) to the Messiah’s coming, and interpreted "the impious" to mean an individual opponent of the Messiah.
2Thessalonians 3:1-18 3:1 Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you:
3:2 And that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men:for all men have not faith.
3:3 But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil.
3:4 And we have confidence in the Lord touching you, that ye both do and will do the things which we command you.
3:5 And the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ.
3:6 Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.
3:7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us:for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;
3:8 Neither did we eat any man’s bread for nought; but wrought with labor and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:1
3:9 Not because we have not power,2 but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.
3:10 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you,3 that if any would not work, neither should he eat.
3:11 For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.4
3:12 Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.
3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary5 in well doing.
3:14 And if any man obey not our word6 by this epistle, note that man, and have no company with him, that he may be ashamed.
3:15 Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.
3:16 Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.
3:17 The salutation of Paul with mine own hand, which is the token in every epistle:so I write.7
3:18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.8 Amen.
1. Compare the speech at Miletus, Acts 20.
2. See note on 1Thessalonians 2:6.
3. Imperfect.
4. The characteristic paronomasia here is not exactly translatable into English. "Busy-bodies who do no business" would be an imitation.
5. i.e. although your kindness may have been abused by such idle trespassers on your bounty.
6. Literally, my word [sent] by the letter, which probably refers to the directions sent in the former letter, 1Thessalonians 4:11, 12. So a previous letter is referred to, 1Corinthians 5:9, and 2Corinthians 7:8.
7. "Thus." With this we may compare Galatians 6:11. We have before remarked that St. Paul’s letters were written by an amanuensis, with the exception of an autograph postscript. Compare Romans 16:22.
8. "Amen" here (as in the end of 1Thessalonians ) is a subsequent addition.
